So, what does brie taste like? Brie cheese is a mild, soft, and creamy cheese with a buttery flavor.
Brie is a cow’s-milk cheese of French origin, with a very smooth-textured, mild and slightly sweet flavor and an edible rind of compressed mold.
Triple-creme brie is very much like butter, dare I say that it’s a very, VERY buttery cheese!
All dairy cheeses are created from the same basic ingredient – milk – and come in various forms, textures, and flavors.
And if you are looking for a variety of cheese with a smooth texture and refined taste, brie tops the list.
Brie is a soft cheese produced from cow’s milk that originated in Brie, a French region.
Its luxuriously soft and creamy texture made it earn its worldwide reputation.
However, there are restrictions on brie about its production process.
And there’s a lot that you need to know about this cheese.
What does brie taste like?
How to store brie?
How to tell if brie has gone bad?
Read along as we unfold every fact about brie before you get one for your next recipe.
Brie is a mild cheese traditionally produced in France but is now widely consumed in various countries throughout the globe.
Its origin traces back to the Middle Ages, where it graced the tables of the royalties with its impressionable character.
Both titles of “King of cheese” and “Queen of cheese” have been bestowed upon this particular variety of cheese.
There are various versions of Brie, such as plain, double, and triple creme brie, herbed brie, and a lot more, all made with varying amounts of milkfat, with triple creme brie coming in at 60% or more.
And there are only two bries granted AOC certification in France since 1980- Brie de Melun and Brie de Meaux.
However, the traditional process of authentic brie is banned in the US due to the United States FDA strict restrictions regarding the production process and imported edible products.
What you will see in the supermarkets today are bries made in pasteurized milk.
Moreover, with its soft and edible grayish-white rind and Brie’s very soft, almost “melted” texture and salty, buttery flavor of the paste make it an excellent accompaniment to many foods.
Most varieties of Brie cheese are served as a wheel where it is melted and served directly on top of the food platter.
While it is traditionally manufactured from cow’s milk, some manufacturers use goat’s milk instead.
It is rich in calcium, high in fat, and has a relatively high sodium content.
What Does Brie Taste Like?
The taste of brie can be described as nutty and fruity with a hint of buttery and earthy flavor.
Brie tastes like eating sautéed mushrooms with earthy and a grassy undertone for some.
This cheese’s popularity can be attributed to the second layer’s flavor.
The top layer has a nutty, creamy flavor, while the second layer has a more earthy, bitter taste.
Making great cheese is all about letting the product run its course.
To have the best flavor and texture of brie, it’s critical to let the rind soften and ripen the interior.
The procedure begins with either raw milk from cows or milk that has been pasteurized.
Afterward, enzymes and rennet are added to raw or pasteurized cow’s milk so that it curdles.
Then, a yeast culture is added to the white mold to help it grow.
The curd formation will be sliced and ladled into molds, then draining off the excess whey follows.
In order to avoid excess mold growth and maintain the cheese’s smooth flavor, it should be carefully brined.
After that, the cheese is left to rest for a week to develop its rind and flavor.
Brie matures to a liquid consistency after 4-5 weeks of maturation from firm to ripe.
Ways To Use Brie
Like any other cheese, brie can be eaten with basically anything from crackers to toast.
You can pair it with apples and drinks and even use it as toppings for pizza.
It is also a great addition to your cheese board appetizer, fruit preserves and bread.
Here are some amazing recipes with brie as its great accompaniment.
Be sure to check out our list of amazing ways to cook with brie here!
The baked brie appetizer is made of bacon, apple, butter, and an 8-ounce of wheel brie cheese.
The gooey, warm, rich, and oozy brie blends well with the salty, smoky bacon and apple’s tangy and crisp taste.
Check out our list of What to Serve With Baked Brie also!
Obatzda is a versatile spread that is best paired with soft pretzels.
It is made up of brie cheese, onions, cream cheese, and spices.
Brie could be your best bet for grilled sandwiches!
This recipe is a generous amount of fresh thyme butter spread on thick bread filled with green apples, smoked ham, and brie cheese and finished with a drizzle of honey.
How Long Does Brie Last?
Dried cheeses tend to have a longer shelf-life the more they age.
But that is not the case for brie because this type of cheese does not last very long.
The shelf-life of brie depends on its storage conditions and if the cheese is kept cold at all times.
Here are some tips to remember to prolong your brie’s shelf-life:
- Keep whole or leftover brie chilled and covered tightly.
- Wrapping the slice of brie with plastic wrap and aluminum foil will increase its shelf-life after opening.
- For better results, wrap the cheese in wax or parchment paper first and layer with another plastic wrap before refrigerating.
- If proper storage is observed, brie cheese will last for about 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge.
- To extend its shelf-life, place it in the fridge even if the number of storage refrigerations has passed.
However, frozen brie cheese crumbles and loses its flavor over time.
So if you are planning to thaw the cheese, it will only be best suited for food preparation, particularly for casseroles, sauces, fondues, and soups.
If stored correctly in the fridge, Brie can retain its peak quality for around six months when it’s kept frozen at 0F.
A defrosted wedge of Brie cheese can be thawed in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days before use.
While a chunk of Brie cheese thawed in the microwave or cold water should be used right away.
How To Store Brie
Brie is best kept in the refrigerator, either in a container with a lid that can be closed securely or in a double-wrapped plastic.
And because it is a soft cheese, you must keep it in the refrigerator at all times.
After removing the container lid, the cheese will continue to mature in the refrigerator.
Hence, it is best to consume it or freeze it within one to three weeks.
If not refrigerated, there is a risk that it will go bad or become infected with bacteria.
The majority of the product manufacturers recommend consuming the product entirely before the cheese expires based on the use-by date.
How To Tell If Brie Has Gone Bad
Brie spoils if it is not stored in the coldest area of the refrigerator in a sealed container.
Brie cheese tends to spoil more quickly even when kept cold.
From our own experience with brie, we’ve come to some conclusions for optimal freshness and likelihood that the brie has not gone moldy or soured:
- Opened brie that has been kept cold: Two days
- Opened brie that has sat out to room temperature for more than an hour: One day
- Newly purchased, unopened brie that has been kept cold: Four days
- Newly purchased, unopened brie that has sat out to room temperature for more than an hour: Two days
Note: We keep the house cool year-round, but brie has been very sensitive to temperature changes, handling, and proper storage. It is unlike other rind cheeses that often have a weeks-long shelf life. We highly recommend that you don’t buy your brie cheese until the same day or even day-of when you are using it in a recipe or adding it to a cheese board.
Remember not to purchase or consume a soft-ripened brie cheese that appears pinkish and has an ammonia odor.
This type of cheese is safe to eat even though it has white mold outside.
On the other hand, blue or green mold means that the cheese is bad and should be thrown out.
You may cut off the moldy parts and still eat the rest when it comes to hard cheeses like Parmesan.
But when mold is visible on soft cheeses like brie, it usually means that mold spores have spread through the whole cheese.
If Brie has aged too long, it may be too runny and smell strongly of ammonia, which comes from the bacteria used to make the cheese.
Even though it is safe to eat, brie that has been sitting around for too long may smell and taste bad.
Can You Eat The Rind on Brie?
If you’ve never had Brie before, you should eat it with the rind so you may fully appreciate its rich flavors.
If you wonder if the rind is edible, the answer is yes.
The rind is edible and helps to improve the flavor over time.
It also provides a wonderful texture and earthy accent to the cheese’s mild flavor.
For the finest taste experience, wait until the Brie cheese has reached room temperature before enjoying.
This allows the cheese to achieve its full flavor potential and creamiest texture.
That said, not everyone enjoys the earthy taste of the waxy rind on brie, and you can remove it before eating.
But, there’s a right way and a wrong way; the experts at Président say to cut off a portion, rind and all, and only remove the rind once you take it to your plate!
It’s only good manners.
The bottom line
Brie cheese is one of the key factors that have been upholding influence on the dairy industry.
That is because of the adaptability and versatility of brie cheese in most recipes today.
Cheese, in general, makes every cuisine exquisite with its brine, salt, spices, herbs, and even wine.
And Brie is a soft cheese known for its velvety texture and thick, edible skin made of white mold.
It transforms into an excellent appetizer when served with bread, crackers, or fruit.
Lastly, you can put it to use in baking to make a flavorful side dish or just eat it as a snack.
The Taste Of Brie: Brie Cheese Fondue
If you are wondering what does brie taste like, this brie cheese fondue will be a creamy, indulgent introduction to this amazing mild, soft cheese!
Ingredients
- 1 round (550 g) real brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
- 2 T cornstarch or arrowroot flour
- 2 T butter
- 3 T shallot, chopped small or grated
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped; ½ t garlic powder; OR 1 t minced garlic
- 1 c semi-sweet or dry white wine
- 1 t fresh thyme or 1/2 t dried thyme, crushed fine
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chill brie round for one hour to help make it easier to remove the rind.
- Slice away the rind and cut the remaining cheese into rough chunks.
- Add the cornstarch or arrowroot flour to a bowl and toss in the brie chunks. Turn to coat evenly. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add shallot and garlic; saute for 2 minutes. Add wine and heat through, stirring, until gently simmering.
- Gently add the coated chunks of brie. Mix with a wooden spoon as it melts, which can take up to 15 minutes on medium low.
- Add thyme. Season to taste with pepper. Stir.
- Pour melted brie mixture into a fondue pot. Stir occasionally.
- Serve with hearty cubes of artisan bread or baguettes, apple and pear slices or thick slices of cooked sausage or bratwurst.